


Wings to Shelter You

by spirithorse



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Dragons, M/M, Tales of Berseria Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-22 05:35:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15574899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spirithorse/pseuds/spirithorse
Summary: “Atakk sends his greetings.” Animili straightened up, settling their cap back on their head. “And he says that he brings good news.”Selene stared at him, her tail lashing in agitation. “What did he say?”“Good news.” Animili grinned up at her. “Pups.”





	Wings to Shelter You

**Author's Note:**

> Just when you thought there was enough of this AU, surprise! Have more dragons. Title taken from the song _Tranquil Lullaby_ by Jenia Lubich.

“Honor, riches, marriage-blessing  
Long continuance, and increasing,  
Hourly joys be still upon you!”  
\- _Shakespeare: Poems_ , William Shakespeare

* * *

 

Water thundered down over the upper level, dropping to the pool below. Selene could hear it rattling through the piles and channels in the walls, a constant sound that ran through Lefay Shrine. It was loud for newcomers but comforting for her. It was her element, something that constantly surrounded her and meant that she had something to reach for. She had something to keep them safe.

Selene sighed and reached out to stick her hand under the fall of the water, letting it flow over her hand. She smiled at its touch, reaching back through the water to check on the rest of the shrine. All the seraphim were asleep in their pile, just like she expected. Further back in the shrine, away from the sound of the waterfall, were the humans, the ones that she had newly added into her family.

She swallowed and pulled her hand back, staring at the pool of water in her palm. There weren’t too many back rooms in the shrine; it was a small one. There had been just enough room for her and the humans that she had first brought. They were all seraphim now, as years had passed since they had first hidden away, but it had worked because they were all asleep. It would have worked if Kyfle hadn’t been attacked.

Selene sighed and tipped the water out of her hand, watching it fall with the rest. She curled her tail around her, playing with the feathers at the end of it. The attack on Kyfle had woken her and a few others up, but the rest were starting to stir because something had shifted.

At first Selene had thought that it was the Earthpulse, but it was a shift in domain.

Messmu Meqcsbebq’s domain had shifted outward to around Ladylake, which intrigued her. It was something that she would have to look into, but a shift in domain didn’t mean that her son was in danger, so she could put it off for a while longer. What was more pressing was the fact that they were rapidly running out of room. The situation from the people with Kyfle was only temporary, and she couldn’t ask them to put up with it for much longer, nor could she ask them to leave.

She fluffed out the bright blue feathers, following the change in color from the practically white at the tips to the darker blue where they met the brown feathers of the rest of her tail. Selene tried to settle some of the fluffed up feathers down, turning the problem over in her mind.

There were bound to be abandoned shrines and towns after the calamity the world suffered. She could always fly out to find one that suited their purposes. The problem with that was that it would mean going further away. The people from Kyfle were still connected to their home, even if the city was destroyed and too dangerous to return to. Telling them that they were going to be even further would be worse. Besides, there was the problem of getting them all to the new location safely. Most of the humans were wary of the dragons, even while they were in awe of the seraphim. Selene couldn’t see any of them climbing onto the back of a seraphim for the flight. And so many seraphim in the air was bound to attract attention. That wasn’t even taking into account her own feelings about the move.

Selene bit her lip, digging her fingers into her feathers. Moving away would be moving away from the rest of her family. Zenrus was safe in Katz Korner, but Phi and Messmu Meqcsbebq were close by. It was less than an hour’s flight to get to them, and she didn’t want to make the distance longer. It was her mate and her son, and it was bad enough that she had had to retreat the first time to keep them both safe.

She sighed and looked up at the water, considering calling on Animili to get their opinion. The Normin would know the state of the world better than she would. It was more likely that the Normin talked to each other. They were the ones who had stayed awake because it was easier for them to stay hidden.

Selene nodded to herself, about to get to her feet when she heard something under the sound of the waterfall. She cocked her head to the side, taking a moment to recognize the sound as Animili running towards her.

She got to her feet, her wings spreading wide for balance as she turned on the slick pathway. Selene hurried toward the Normin, watching as they bustled up to her before bending over to pant for breath. She hovered over the Normin, her wings still spread partially in balance and partially in alarm.

There hadn’t been anything she heard, and she had been awake for a while now. She’d been roaming the ruin and the village outside to see if she could find a solution to their problem, but had been no progress.

Selene tucked her wings back against her back, shifting her weight from foot to foot as she waited for Animili catch their breath. The Normin straightened up a few times only to drop down to keep panting. On the third time, Animili managed to suck in a big enough breath to be able to speak.

They immediately swept off their cap as they bowed. “Majy ih Fuaruhom Nasuwk, I just received news from Atakk.”

Selene froze, her eyes going wide. Atakk had been left to guard Messmu Meqcsbebq. Her son was old enough to take care of himself, but having a second pair of eyes and hands never hurt.  Worse still, Selene wasn’t sure that times had gotten better since they had gone their separate ways, and that was more terrifying. She only what had happened in Kyfle, which wasn’t a good gauge by any stretch of the imagination.

She looked down at the Normin, motioning them onward. “What did he say?”

“Atakk sends his greetings.” Animili straightened up, settling their cap back on their head. “And he says that he brings good news.”

“Take me to him.”

She went to walk past Animili when the Normin scurried in front of her. They bowed against before meeting her gaze. “He’s already left. He apologized but said that there was one more pressing errand and asked me to wait to tell you the news to give him a head start.”

Selene stared at him, her tail lashing in agitation. “What did he say?”

“Good news.” Animili grinned up at her. “Pups.”

Selene stared at the Normin for a moment, her mind working over what she had been told. The message didn’t make sense, not while her mind was still running through everything that could have happened to Sorey. The word suck in slowly, Selene back an Animili as they grinned, and she found herself grinning too. “Pups?”

The Normin nodded. “That’s what Atakk said.”

Selene whooped, her wings spreading wide. She bounced a few steps back, glancing down at the ground floor of the shrine before stopping herself. “I have to go and see him.”

“Of course, my lady.”

“Tell Altul that he’s in charge until I get back.” Selene didn’t wait for the Normin to nod, she just stepped off the walkway. Animili’s reply was lost in the rush of wind from her fall, but Selene trusted the Normin to keep things going. There was little enough that Altul would need to do.

She spread her wings to slow her fall, giving her the time to shift forms, Selene ignoring the silver flames that prickled against her skin. The change was quick work, Selene shaking off the last of the flames before adjusting her course and heading for the waterfall at the front of the shrine.

She burst through the waterfall, Selene twisting in the air to shake the worst of the water off before banking. She scanned over the earth beneath her, checking to see if there were any humans. It was an old precaution, Selene shaking her head when she realized that she was looking for the white and black of the Shepherd’s cloak. She snorted to herself before adjusting her path slightly. It was maybe an hour’s flight to get to the shrine, but she might be able to cut that down if she hurried.

Selene snorted and beat her wings faster, her focus entirely on the Aroundight forest and everything that awaited her beyond it.

* * *

“Phi!”

The sound of his name jolted him out of his half doze, Phi clawing at the feathers that surrounded him until he managed to wiggle out from underneath Velvet’s wing. Phi looked around, half expecting to see Invalada running towards him with some news, but the Normin wasn’t anywhere in sight. Phi frowned, staring at the tunnel before pulling himself free of the black and red feathers. His aunt grumbled but remained fast asleep.

Phi carefully picked his way out of the pile of dragons and jumped to the floor. He paused at a sleepy noise, Phi turning back to watch as Velvet and his mother raised their heads. The two studied the hallway before seeming to agree that it wasn’t important enough to bother them. Velvet settled back down while Celica lifted one blue and white wing to drape it over her sister. They both settled on top of Laphicet, Phi watching as his uncle groaned, Laphi scrambling at the ground in his sleep before he seemed to resign himself to being at the bottom of the pile.

Phi watched them for a moment before turning and jogging out into the hallway. There he could hear two sets of footsteps clearly, one the familiar skitter of Invalada’s paws. The other he couldn’t quite place, but there weren’t many who called him by his nickname. Most other seraphim called him by his titles, as was right. But his family were all asleep behind him, which meant that there was only one other who would be calling him by that name.

He broke into a run, making it halfway up the hallway before he saw Selene charging towards him. He let out a shout, not sure if he managed to get her name out or not, but that didn’t matter when she was rushing at him. Phi opened his arms, feeling his wings follow suit as she plowed into him. Phi wrapped his arms and wings around her, the two of them spinning in place. Phi could feel Selene nuzzling into his neck, muttering his name over and over again. Phi squeezed her tight, pressing his face against her hair.

It had been too long since he had held her last. The separation had been necessary, because the Shepherds had been out in force. None of them had managed to breech the Aroundight Forest or the Guest Mountains from the Rolance side, but it had been too dangerous to have so many seraphim in one place. It had been necessary, but the waking moments of it had practically been unbearable. It was much easier to sleep and sink into the Earthpulse where he could feel the remaining seraphim in their sleep. He’d been able to be with Selene there, but it wasn’t the same.

He sighed, confused when Selene started to pull away. He wasn’t ready. He needed at least a few more hours with her in his arms.

Phi sighed and let her go, relieved when Selene grabbed onto his hand and held it. That was better than nothing, a connection between the two of them. Phi squeezed her hand, staring at her.

Seraphim were unchanging in a way, looking the same age for all of eternity. She was exactly the same as he remembered with her brown eyes and brown hair, although it looked like she had cut it shorter in the intervening centuries. Phi wasn’t even sure what state his hair was in, because he had been fast asleep. He fought the urge to reach up and pat his hair down, sure that the same few strands were out of place and practically upright.

He swallowed, about to say something when he caught the look on Selene’s face and the way that she was practically trembling in place. Phi tipped his head to the side, trying to judge the situation on the little information that he had.

Selene hadn’t been in the Earthpulse for a year now, but Invalada had filled him in on that when he had woken up in a panic. Kyfle had been attacked and Selene had helped the survivors that would stay. It explained why she looked more put together, she had been awake longer than he had. But he couldn’t imagine why she would leave Lefay shrine, not unless it was perfectly safe, and he doubted that.

He squeezed her hand. “Selene?”

Selene grinned at him, squeezing his hand back. “I flew as fast as I could to get here, and he still beat me.”

Phi tipped his head to the side. “Who?”

“Atakk.”

He turned slightly to face Invalada spoke. The Normin swept off her blue cap, fiddling with the ribbon on it. “Atakk just stopped by to deliver a message. Apparently, he visited Majy ih Fuaruhom Nasuwk first. I guess it’s the same news, considering her reaction.”

Invalada fixed the ribbon to her satisfaction before putting the cap back on her head. “He said to tell you that there are pups.”

Phi blinked, the word sitting in the air for a moment, then he broke into a smile. He grabbed at Selene’s arm, looking at her. She nodded back at him, Phi feeling his heart beat faster.

He had never felt Sorey in the Earthpulse and he assumed that his son was concentrating on other projects. It wasn’t necessary for all of the seraphim to sleep, especially considering that he and Sorey were in one of the safer places in Glenwood. Obviously Sorey had been up to something if pups were in the equation, but just what didn’t quite matter. Pups meant that Sorey was thriving. Pups meant that things might be returning to normal, at least in their corner of the world.

Selene tugged him away, Phi stumbling after her. It took him a moment to get his feet under him, Phi spreading his wings for balance. Even then he couldn’t stop glancing at Selene and Invalada for any sign that this was a dream But Selene’s hand was warm and solid in his, which meant that this was real. Dreams in the Earthpulse never felt like this.

He adjusted his hold on her hand, squeezing it tightly. She returned the favor, Phi taking a deep breath to steady himself. He closed his wings against his back as he picked up his pace. Selene’s impatience was catching, Phi already thinking ahead. They could make the run into the shrine, but it would be faster to fly. Better yet, it would mean flying with Selene, and that was something that he had longed for.

Phi smiled at Selene, getting a quick smile in return before her attention was on running through the shrine again. Phi followed her gaze, not even trying to keep his feathers from fluffing up. He was excited and there was no holding that back. Not when Selene was by his side, he could smell the fresh air and there was the promise of pups just outside the shrine.

* * *

Sorey yawned wide, his tail twitching contentedly. He rubbed his cheek against the grass, using the motion to stretch out his neck before he lifted his head. He glanced around the top of Mount Mabinogio, taking deep breaths. The sky was clear and he couldn’t smell and storms coming their way. Sorey huffed contentedly, looking back along his body to see where Mikleo and the pups were.

Mikleo was the easiest to find, his husband tucked up in his usual spot just behind Sorey’s foreleg and before the wing joint. Mikleo’s book was still open on his lap from where he had been reading, but his head was tipped back against Sorey’s side. From the soft snores that Sorey could hear, Mikleo had fallen asleep while reading. Sorey tipped his head to look at the book, trying to determine what he had missed.

They had been taking the time to read one of the histories written before the calamities that had driven seraphim and humans apart. From what Sorey remembered, they had been back with the building of Lohgrin, the oldest kingdom in Glenwood. But, from the position of the pages, Mikleo had gone beyond that to the first dynasties of Asgard, which meant Sorey had drifted off to sleep. It was a shame, because he’d never gotten the chance to read through that book, and he loved the sound of Mikleo’s voice when he read outloud.

He pressed his muzzle against Mikleo’s cheek, nuzzling him before giving him a light lick. Mikleo muttered his name in his sleep and turned to his side, the book sliding off of his lap. Sorey watched as Mikleo nuzzled into his feathers, Sorey waiting for him to get comfortable before folding his wing slightly over Mikleo. It was warm enough that his husband didn’t need the cover, but Mikleo seemed to sleep better under his wing.

Sorey watched Mikleo for a moment longer before turning his attention to the basket that was just beside him. It was filled with scraps of old blankets and clothes, anything that he and Mikleo had found that was beyond repair. There was quite a lot of material like that around the shrine, and it had made a good nest, something nice to keep the eggs in. Most of the material had been left in the nest, but there were a few things that carried over, like the embroidered shirt Mikleo had worn for his wedding. Sorey didn’t think that the two pups would have been able to sleep without it. Not that they had done much sleeping lately.

Sorey grumbled to himself, keeping the sound low. He didn’t want to wake the two up, not when it was the first time that they had slept in a week. Sorey watched the two pups wiggle around, the two of them partially tangled together in a mess of blue-grey and brown feathers. He propped himself up a bit further, gently holding Mikleo against him with his foreleg and wing. It was enough for him to curl over and gently nudge one of the pockets that a pup had crawled into. Sorey lifted his muzzle away when she lashed out before rolling over, flailing out with one leg. Sorey licked at it before the pup settled down.

He watched the two of them for a moment before lying back down with a groan. He heard Mikleo echo his groan, Mikleo burrowing deeper. Sorey breathed a sigh of relief that Mikleo didn’t wake up. Mikleo needed all of the sleep he could get, they all did after the round of storms that had rolled through.

His domain might have calmed the wild weather of Glenwood, but it didn’t prevent everything. The land still needed winter and the spring storms. The rolling rounds of thunder and lightning hadn’t been enough to bother him and Mikleo. If anything, it had made he want to curl up under some blankets and listen to Mikleo read. It would have been relaxing, but he hadn’t counted on the pups.

Sorey sighed, stretching out on the grass. It had been nothing but panicked pups the whole week, in their bed, around their ankles, climbing all over them and in their sleep. If they were lucky, they had managed to get by on snatched hours of sleep and trading off with Atakk. Sorey was sure that the Normin was off doing what they were, catching up on sleep. Of course, it would be smarter to be taking advantage of the pups’ decision to sleep to work on the shrine or something more productive, but he was not about to move.

The grass was too comfortable and the sun felt good on him after so many days stuck in the shrine or getting soaked any time he dared sneak out and fly into the heart of the storm. Even then he hadn’t been out in the storms for long between his exhaustion and shrieks from the pups just inside the entrance to the shrine. It had been impossible to ignore them, especially when they had sounded so scared.

He took a deep breath, satisfying himself that there were no storms forthcoming. Sorey was to the point where he didn’t care if it rained, he was more than ready to snatch sleep where he could get it. But he wouldn’t leave the pups out in the rain, not when they would be terrified. Still, the day seemed clear and the pups were fast asleep. If he and Mikleo were lucky, they would stay asleep for a few more hours.

Sorey settled down, drifting off. He wasn’t sure how long he stayed asleep, but he knew it wasn’t long enough. Somewhere between waking and dreaming he became aware of the scent of other dragons and wingbeats.

Sorey groaned and lifted his head, staring blearily at the sky. The presence of another seraphim wasn’t anything to worry about. There were too few of them to fight over territory, not that Sorey could imagine any of them fighting. If anything, it was a seraph passing through either on their way to a new place or one that was flying openly, which was strange. Things hadn’t changed too much, even if he had moved his domain to cover Ladylake. Sorey hummed and peered up at them. The seraph was at enough of an altitude that he could only see them as a dot.

He followed their path for a moment, tensing when he realized that there were two dragons circling. Sorey craned his head back, watching the two of them circle around each other. It almost looked like play, but it was also giving him the time to watch them.

They continued to chase each other through the air before starting to circle closer. It was a polite enough approach, Sorey content to lay where he was until they got close enough, if they even decided to land. They might just be breezing over, but Sorey wasn’t quite sure of that. Considering the lonely lives they lead, he wouldn’t be surprised if they came down to chat.

He sighed and resettled his wing over Mikleo, curling his tail around the basket with the pups. Neither of them moved, not that Sorey was expecting them to.

The seraphim dropped lower, Sorey perking up at the flash of silver he saw from one of the seraphim. He strained his neck up, watching the silver seraphim for any other pattern. It shouldn’t have mattered, because he didn’t know any other seraphim that shared his silver feathers. He still wanted to check, his gaze sliding over to the other seraph. The bright blue among the brown feathers was enough to confirm everything that he was looking for.

Sorey scrambled to his feet, distantly hearing Mikleo’s yelp of complaint. He walked forward a few steps before breaking into a run as the dragons came to land.

He charged into the midst, knocking his body against theirs before turning around so he could nuzzle against him. His parents returned the favor, Phi slinging his head over Sorey’s back as Selene cooed and gently groomed the feathers around his horns. Sorey just swayed between the two of them, enjoying of the press of their bodies against him. It was familiar, and surprising, because the two of them had agreed to separate and remain that way until it was safe. Sorey looked between the two of them, searching for any kind of clue what they were doing there, but both of them seemed more interested in burrowing close to him.

Sorey allowed it, but he wiggled a little further out of his parent’s embraces. He turned his head, looking at where Mikleo was sitting up.

It was like he expected, Mikleo crouched by the basket, looking warily at his parents. Sorey tipped his head to the side, looking at Phi and Selene before slipping out from between them. He stared at Mikleo for a moment before lowering himself partially to his belly and crawling forward.

Mikleo was wary of dragons, he knew that. Sorey wasn’t sure what he had done to get Mikleo to get used to him, or used to the two pups. Maybe it was because the pups were small. But two more dragons was probably too much.

Sorey cooed at him, advancing a few more steps before dropping back into something that Mikleo could feel a bit less threatened. He shook off the last of the silver flames off of his wings before tucking them behind him. Sorey slowed long enough to sweep his tail behind him, glancing over at Mikleo.

Mikleo was still crouched by the basket, looking like he was one step away from running with it back into the shrine. He put out his other hand towards Sorey without hesitation, although his gaze lingered on where Selene and Phi were still standing.

Sorey watched as Mikleo’s fingers flexed, something in him relaxing. It wasn’t him. At least it wasn’t him.

He felt bad about the thought immediately, Sorey crossing the distance between the two of them and taking up Mikleo’s hand. Mikleo’s fingers flexed around his, Sorey yelping as he was dragged close into a protective embrace. “Sorey?”

There was a lot in the sound of his name, but Sorey caught on the shake in Mikleo’s voice. He sighed and turned his head to nuzzle into Mikleo’s hair. Mikleo didn’t react like usual, he remained tense and still. “Sorey, do you know them?”

“Yes.” Sorey leaned into him for a moment. “They’re my parents. They’re fine.”

That got Mikleo to relax, but the tension was still there. Sorey sighed and tucked one wing around Mikleo, allowing himself to hover close.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Selene and Phi moving closer. They were moving cautiously and slowly, which probably wasn’t helping. Sorey shifted, so he could put his other wing in front of Mikleo, looking at his parents. That seemed to get the message across to them, Sorey breathing a sigh of relief when they dropped to a more human form. He kept his wing steady until they were finished, and even then he lowered it slowly. He felt Mikleo squeeze his hand hard, but his husband relaxed more when he saw the two of them looking more human.

Sorey cooed at him just in case, holding him close. Mikleo wasn’t relaxing, but he didn’t feel like he was going to run anymore. Sorey nuzzled him one more time before nodding over to Selene and Phi. “Mikleo, these are my parents.”

He heard Mikleo take a deep breath, Sorey concerned about the way it shook. He didn’t have the time to tug Mikleo away or try to give his husband more time before Mikleo spoke up. “Maotelus and Majy ih Fuaruhom Nasuwk.”

Sorey smiled at Mikleo’s pronunciation, his feathers fluffing in pride. Mikleo was getting better at the ancient tongue. He wanted to kiss Mikleo senseless for his achievement, but there were other things to worry about.

He swallowed, trying to calm himself so his feathers would smooth back down. It wasn’t the time for that kind of thing, not when there were introductions to do.

Sorey squeezed Mikleo’s hand and stepped away a bit. “You’re family now. You can call them Selene and Phi.”

Mikleo shot him a quick look, Sorey having the time to process the look of surprise before Selene was stepping up to them. He turned his attention to his mother, his eyes widening when he saw her feathers fluff out. Her wings twitched like they were going to spread out, but Selene kept them folded back.

She looked Mikleo up and down, her head cocked to the side. “This is your husband?”

Sorey shot his mother a hurt look at the question. It was perfectly obvious who Mikleo was. If his reaction wasn’t obvious, then the necklace that Mikleo was wearing was. It was only given to those married to seraphim.

Sorey played absently with Mikleo’s fingers, surprised when Mikleo pulled his hand away. He looked back at Mikleo as his husband moved away from the basket.

Mikleo inched forward, glancing between the two of them. For a moment, it looked like he was going to bow but he stopped himself. Mikleo stood frozen, Sorey sure that he was looking at his parent’s wings and tails. He remembered that gaze from their early days together, when Mikleo wasn’t sure about him. It made Sorey want to reach out and touch him for reassurance. But then Mikleo was giving a little bow of his head. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Selene smiled at him, returning the bow. “And you too. I was wondering when Messmu Meqcsbebq would find someone to settle down with.”

Sorey blushed bright red, his wings twitching nervously. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to haul Mikleo away or let them talk, because this was a rare occasion. All of the seraphim had decided that sleeping was the best way to stay hidden from the Shepherds. Sorey had thought about trying to wake them a few times, but he had never gone out far enough into the world to check if the Shepherds were still out in force. Even if he had, he was sure that the seraphim wouldn’t believe him. After all, even when they were hidden away everyone had heard about one seraph or another who had gotten killed by a Shepherd. Sorey didn’t think any of them would dare come out, not unless they had the time to study the situation.

He sighed, about to go to stand by Mikleo when there was a squeak from the basket. It was automatic to turn and look at the pups, most of his attention going to where they were wiggling around. They looked like they were just waking up and were calling for him or Mikleo. He dropped to a crouch beside the basket, not surprised when a pup immediately flopped into his arms, still calling for attention.

Sorey chuckled and lifted the pup to nuzzle into their down. “Good morning, sleepy head.”

The pup chirped at him, their attention quickly moving away. Sorey turned to look as they squeaked, surprised to find his parents hovering over his shoulder. He swallowed and leaned out to look at Mikleo. Mikleo looked just as shocked that they had turned their attention to something else so quickly.

Sorey shifted his hold on the pup, turning his attention back to his parents. Their attention was rapt, Phi reaching out before he stopped himself. Another squeak from the basket pulled them both closer, Selene cooing at the pup that was peeking out from under the blankets.

The pups regarded them with surprise, Sorey sure that it was warranted. They had only seen him, Mikleo and Atakk. As far as they were concerned, they were the only three beings in the world. Sorey had never thought about introducing them to other seraphim, it had been a problem for the future.

Selene reached out for the basket before jerking her hands back. They twitched for a moment before she turned to look at Sorey. “Two?”

Sorey nodded, sighing when the two of them leaned in to press against him. Sorey leaned into their affection before remembering himself. He held up the pup in his hands. “You want to hold her?”

Selene didn’t answer, but Phi held out his arms. Sorey settled the pup in them before scooping up the second one. He held her out to Mikleo, smiling when the offer brought Mikleo scurrying close. Mikleo seemed to relax a bit more with a pup in his arms, which was better than him being stiff and nervous.

Sorey paused to press his forehead against Mikleo’s before turning to look at his parents. “That’s Muzet, and Mikleo has Milla.”

“Hello there.” Selene leaned over Muzet, gently bumping their forehead together. Muzet peered up at her before squeaking and flapping her small wings. She bounced in Phi’s arms, trying to do the same to him. Phi bent his head to accommodate with a laugh. Selene watched the two of them with a smile before turning to look at Milla.

Milla had puffed herself up in Mikleo’s arms and was glaring at the two of them. For a moment, Sorey was sure that she would hiss as Selene approached, but then she stopped herself. The hiss gurgled into something like a squeak, like Milla was unsure. She turned to look at Mikleo, who gave her a little nod.

Sorey’s heart pounded fast as Mikleo held still to allow Milla and Selene to greet each other, sure that he was grinning like an idiot. But he couldn’t help himself.

He had always imagined the girls meeting their grandparents, but that had been a distant thing. Seraphim needed the time to wake up and make sure that they were safe. There was still a Shepherd out there after all, but he and Mikleo were working towards some kind of acceptance. Sorey and resigned himself to that taking centuries.

Sorey edged closer to Mikleo, holding out a wing in invitation. He sighed happily when Mikleo stepped into the circle of his wing without hesitation. Sorey tucked his wing around Mikleo, pulling both him and Milla close. Sorey reached out to runs his fingers over Milla’s wing, the pup ignoring him in favor of watching the new seraphim and squawking for her grandparents’ attention. Sorey wrapped his arm around Mikleo’s waist, tipping his head as Mikleo rested his head on Sorey’s shoulder. Mikleo sighed, Sorey feeling his body relaxing.

Sorey hummed in response, pressing a kiss into Mikleo’s hair. But Mikleo couldn’t hold his attention for long, not while Muzet and Milla were calling for their grandparents’ attention and Selene and Phi were obliging. It reminded him of the way things had been before, when there were other people and seraphim to dote on him.

Sorey smiled to himself, holding Mikleo close and enjoying the presence of his family.

* * *

Mikleo watched Phi move through the grass, the color of his feathers making it nearly impossible for him to hide, but he was trying. The seraphim moved around the boulders in his dragon form, edging closer to where Muzet was distracted by a butterfly. Mikleo watched his daughter leap up after it, pawing and snapping at it ineffectively. Phi was taking advantage of it, moving slowly forward with care. Mikleo swallowed and curled his hand in his lap, trying to calm his racing heart.

This was Sorey’s father, and he had been so excited to see the two pups.

This was Maotelus, the same seraph that was worshipped in shrinechurches around Glenwood. That Maotelus was a kind and gentle seraphim. From what he had seen, there wasn’t a difference between the great Maotelus and Phi.

But it was still a dragon, something that made his heart pound fast and his throat go dry. He had gotten used to Sorey, but his parents were different. Worse still, Phi was stalking Muzet. It didn’t matter that it was in play and that he had seen Sorey doing the same thing hundreds of times. This was a different dragon.

He licked his lips, swaying forward as he was caught in indecision. The choice was made for him in the next moment when Milla launched herself from the nearest rock and onto Phi’s back with a screech. Her grandfather twisted around, falling on the ground.

Mikleo started to his feet, watching as Phi went down and started writhing on the ground. It was easy to see Milla against his silver feathers, his daughter flashes of brown, yellow and green against silver.

His attention jerked away as Muzet ran screaming from where she had left the butterfly to throw herself against her grandfather. Muzet practically bounced off, but she didn’t let that stop her. She made another jump, this time she managed to scramble up onto Phi. Muzet was quick to join her sister, the two of them scrambling around on Phi as he twisted and turned on the ground. The dragon kicked his legs like he was trying to disembowel something, but his claws never got close to them.

Mikleo watched them for a moment more before sitting down slowly. He couldn’t take his eyes from where Phi was playfully snapping at the two pups, his teeth getting nowhere near them. Mikleo stared at them, breathing out a long sigh when he felt a touch to his arm.

He turned his head to look at Sorey, giving in to the tug on him. It was second nature to tuck himself against Sorey, but he couldn’t relax, not when there was a dragon around. Mikleo knew that it didn’t make sense since Sorey was a dragon, as were the pups. Besides he _knew_ what the dragons were, so everything shouldn’t matter, but it did, and it bothered them.

He frowned down at his lap, not bothering to look up as Sorey leaned into him. He felt Sorey’s wing slide around his shoulder, but even that wasn’t enough to calm him. Every shriek from the pups made him want to look up and check what was going on in case Phi was hurting them, but that wasn’t fair.

Mikleo closed his eyes, almost hoping that exhaustion would tug him down again, but fear was keeping him awake. He almost wanted to make some excuse and haul the pups back inside, but this was the first time they’d been able to go outside in a week. And Phi was a part of their family, he couldn’t deny them that. Besides, Sorey had left the eggs behind when he had wanted to go to Ladylake. This might not be the exact same situation, but it was still a matter of trust.

He leaned further into Sorey, relaxing a fraction when Sorey rubbed his arm. Mikleo groaned and turned his face into Sorey’s neck. “I can’t watch.”

“They won’t get hurt.”

“I know that.” Mikleo snapped out the words, shaking his head. “I _know_ that. I just can’t watch it.”

“….should I ask them to stop?”

The hesitation in front of the question told him more than enough. Even then, Mikleo knew the answer. He shook his head, holding onto Sorey. “They need this. It’s not fair to stop them.”

“Mikleo…”

“I’m fine.”

It wasn’t quite true, but Sorey seemed to understand. He cooed and nuzzled into Mikleo’s hair. It was a motion meant to calm him, except that it didn’t work. He could still her the shrieks and snarls from the three playing. He took a deep breath and kissed Sorey’s cheek. “I’m going to walk.”

“Alright.”

Mikleo hated that Sorey sounded so defeated, but there was nothing he could do. He wasn’t about to interrupt him, but it was too much. It had been from the moment he had seen the two seraphim landing.

He sighed and reached up to play with the necklace, moving the pendant on its chain. He knew that there were other seraphim in the world, but knowing was differing than seeing. Of course they would want to look like dragons; it was as much a part of them as their human form. Any hesitation he had was based on lies and forgotten information. That should be enough to let him relax. Mikleo swallowed, sneaking a quick look back over his shoulder.

Phi had rolled over to his stomach and was reaching out towards where Milla was batting as his muzzle while Muzet savaged his tail the best she could. Muzet couldn’t get more than a few feathers in her mouth at a time, but she was making a good effort at it.

Sorey sat watching them for a moment more before rocking forward. Mikleo smiled at the sight of the familiar silver flames. Between one step and the next Sorey went from human to dragon, and then he was charging after Milla.

She squeaked and took off, running around to hide behind Phi. Sorey immediately put his nose to the ground and started to track her like that, clearly ignoring the high pitched squeaks that sounded like giggling.

The tightness in his chest eased when he saw Sorey joining in the fun. Sorey would know their limits and when to stop. Sorey knew how to be gentle to them. But Phi had raised Sorey.

Mikleo groaned and dragged a hand through his hair, staring at the group of them before turning on his heel. He intended to go back into the shrine and continue their organizing, but he stopped short when he saw Selene standing in the doorway back into the shrine.

She was leaning against the door, watching the four of them play with a fond smile on her face. Selene seemed oblivious to his presence there, the seraph absently playing with the end of her hair. She seemed content to stand there, but Mikleo must have made some kind of noise because her attention moved to him.

It wasn’t the quick jerk that he expected, but a slow slide accompanied by a smile. Selene nodded at him, her attention shifting partially back to the others. “Thank you.”

The thanks surprised him, Mikleo going stiff. He stared at her, running through everything that she could mean before giving up. Selene was a seraph, ancient and wise. He was just trying not to stare openly at where her wings were folded over her back.

“Why?”

Selene looked over at him, her hand dropping away from her hair. “For your hard work on the shrine. I was looking and it’s never looked better.”

Mikleo tipped his head to the side. “It was mostly Sorey. I just started helping.”

“Still, it looks good. But more importantly, for what you’ve done for Messmu Meqcsbebq.”

Mikleo glanced back towards his husband, watching as Sorey made an ungainly leap over Phi. Milla hissed and ran around her grandfather, bowling into Muzet. The two of them snapped at each other before tearing off in different directions. The two of them circled around towards the older seraphim, coming in for the attack again.

Mikleo found himself smiling as Sorey fluffed himself up, his hand reaching for the pendant around his neck. “You’re wrong, I haven’t done much.”

Selene hummed, Mikleo not daring to look at her. What he said was true, because Sorey had helped him more. Sorey and everything about him had been the reason that Mikleo had run away from his wedding. Everything that he had wanted was here. There was just the trouble of putting that into words.

He took a deep breath and looked up at Selene, surprised to find her shaking her head. “I haven’t seen him so happy in a long while. He had to be lonely and then he found you.”

“It’s not-”

“I know my son. This isn’t something that he would give to just anyone.” Selene sighed. “So thank you for that.”

Mikleo pressed his lips together, not sure what to say about that. Sorey deserved the world, the one beyond the bounds of the Aroundight Forest and the shrine. Mikleo had made some headway in showing him that, even if it was just Ladylake. Everything else might take more time, maybe after he managed to publish what he had found out from Sorey and the books in the shrine. If he could manage to get the world to see seraphim as they were before Milla and Muzet were ready to go out into the world, he would consider his goal accomplished.

“You know, before I knew about the pups, I was thinking about how we left Sorey.” Selene turned to look at the four dragons playing again. “Seraphim aren’t meant to be alone. We were meant to be surrounded by humans and others of our kind.”

“I don’t help much with that.” Mikleo shook his head. “It’s the five of us in that big place.”

“That’s why I was hoping that I could convince Sorey to take on some of the people I have.” Selene’s wings twitched, Mikleo recognizing the nervous tick from Sorey. “Lefay isn’t big enough for all of them and they don’t have the space to farm or do anything that will help them survive. It’s better that they can do that instead of the seraphim hunting for them. They can start rebuilding their lives, Sorey can have people around him and I…I can be close to Phi.”

There was obvious longing in her voice, Mikleo following her gaze. He skipped over where Phi was lying on his stomach with Muzet jumping on him to where Sorey was nosing Milla along the ground, the pup squirming happily.

Sorey had told him about his parent’s agreements, and he had said that it was necessary. Mikleo had agreed because it had sounded sensible then. The seraphim had been hunted by the Shepherds, and Shepherds were bound to go after a place where there was a lot of seraphim flying around. Mikleo had heard about the arte on the Aroundight Forest, but he didn’t think there was anything on the rest of the mountains. Then again, the Guest Mountains were a defense all on their own. Still, he had never considered what the separation would mean. Two thousand years asleep and away from each other was something that he couldn’t wrap his head around.

He had lasted a handful of days away from Sorey. Two thousand years was too long to contemplate.

He shivered, freezing when he saw Selene stretching out a wing. She paused halfway through the motion, studying him for a moment. Mikleo watched her back, watching as Selene flexed her wing.

It was a common enough gesture, Sorey had done it to him so many times that Mikleo no longer thought about it. He almost regretted flinching away, but it was too soon. Although, it was better that Selene looked more human. Maybe it was just a matter of seeing her like this more often.

His train of thought was interrupted by a roar, Mikleo spinning around.

Phi and Sorey were on the ground, both of them playing dead as Milla and Muzet crowed their victory with their own series of high pitched squeaks.

Mikleo pressed a hand over his mouth as he saw Sorey’s eye open slightly before closing again. He bit his lip, trying to keep his laughter at bay. He didn’t want to ruin the pups’ moment of victory, especially when they seemed to enjoy it so much. They had both puffed out their down and were strutting in front of the other seraphim.

He looked over at Selene, watching as she shook her head. She gave him a quick look, a bright smile that reminded up so much of Sorey’s crossing her face. “Come on, let’s avenge our husbands.”

She bounded off at a run before Mikleo could reply, but there was no question of hesitation. He turned on his heel and raced off after her, crouching low to the ground as Milla and Muzet raced over to him and into his arms.

* * *

Sorey gently set Milla into the basket, the pup burrowing sleepily under the embroidered shirt. Muzet was doing the same from the other side, already mostly disappeared underneath it. Sorey watched her foot twitch uselessly against the other pieces of fabric in the nest before she seemed to give up. Sorey was sure that she was already asleep, as was Milla. Then again, the two of them had been going nonstop. If it wasn’t his parents, then it was one of them or Atakk when the Normin wandered back in. Sorey had seen Atakk once while they were coming back inside, but the Normin was practically dragging himself back to his room.

Sorey shook his head, reaching into the basket to pet Milla and Muzet’s backs before standing up. He turned to look back at the bed, smiling at where Mikleo was curled up under a blanket, his book reclaimed.

He sat on the edge of the bed, leaning over to look at where Mikleo was. As he expected, Mikleo pressed the book against his chest with an insulted look on his face. “Get your own.”

“But Mikleo…” Sorey scooted closer, wrapping an arm around Mikleo’s waist. Mikleo didn’t resist and even moved forward so Sorey could scoot in behind him. Sorey settled into place, resting his chin on Mikleo’s shoulder. “Don’t you want to share?”

Mikleo huffed, but leaned back with him. Sorey shifted to better accommodate him, getting a kiss on the jaw as thanks. Mikleo nuzzled the joint of his jaw for a moment before focusing back on his book. His attention might have been on it, but Mikleo wasn’t reading. He wasn’t relaxed enough for that and his fingers were moving nervously over the page in front of him. Sorey hummed in lieu of a question, tipping his head to the side when Mikleo leaned his head back. He rested his temple against Mikleo’s.

“Thank you.”

That got Mikleo to tense, Mikleo dropping the book into his lap. “For what?”

“For this afternoon. You didn’t have to stay.”

“They were your parents.”

“But you were uncomfortable.” Sorey knew he was right by the way that Mikleo tensed. He squeezed Mikleo gently, rubbing his cheek against Mikleo’s hair. “I didn’t want you to be and you didn’t have to let them stay.”

He felt Mikleo turn slightly, probably looking in the direction of the room that Phi and Selene were sharing. Sorey didn’t know if they were in there at the moment, both of them had wanted to see the shrine, and they might want to go flying together. Sorey was sure that there was more that they wanted to do, but that was not his problem at the moment. “Mikleo…”

“It’s not that really.” Mikleo played with the end of his sleeve. “They’re dragons, I know they are. But they’re seraphim. And they’re you’re parents. I can stand it.”

Sorey sighed. “I don’t want to make you stand it.”

Mikleo shook his head. “It’s not that. That was…bad phrasing.” Mikleo set the book down, taking a moment to pat the cover. Then he turned in Sorey’s arms.

Sorey curled his wings forward around Mikleo, shielding him even as he supported Mikleo with his arms around Mikleo’s waist. Mikleo smiled and him and shifted until they were both comfortable. Only then did he reach up to cup Sorey’s cheek. “I’m not afraid of you.”

“I’m familiar.” Sorey smiled at him.

Mikleo returned the smile, this thumb skimming over Sorey’s cheekbone. “Yes. I’m used to all of your nonsense.”

Mikleo leaned forward to kiss the tip of Sorey’s nose. Sorey leaned after him, whining when Mikleo leaned away. He settled back against the wall, watching as Mikleo opened and shut his mouth a few times. Eventually, Mikleo just shook his head. “There are going to be more dragons in the future. Your mother, your father, members of their families. Our daughters will be like that eventually.”

“But you’re not afraid of them.”

“No, and I don’t want to be.” Mikleo took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “I’m trying to change people’s minds about the seraphim. But what’s the point if I’m too scared of them? If I don’t push myself a little, then what’s the point? And it helps that you trust them. If you’re relaxed it helps, it really does.”

Sorey stared at Mikleo’s face for a moment before nodding. “Alright, at your pace then. Just, tell me if it gets too much.”

Mikleo laughed, reaching back to push at Sorey’s wings. Sorey pulled them back, letting them fall open against the bed. Mikleo slid out of his lap to reclaim his book. Sorey watched him go, feeling lazy. It would be easy enough to tip over, but Sorey was sure he would be asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. It was probably the best plan, because the pups were bound to be up at first light and begging to play. Just the thought of it made him exhausted.

Sorey tucked his wings into a more comfortable positon, glancing over at Mikleo when he realized that Mikleo hadn’t come back to him. He turned his head to look at Mikleo, frowning when he saw his husband sitting on the edge of the bed and staring at the book.

Mikleo must have felt his stare because he reached out to set the book on the table. Mikleo turned around, sitting cross-legged to the side. Sorey shifted to face him, reaching out to take Mikleo’s hands. Mikleo twined their fingers together, holding tight. “I was thinking about some of the things that your mother was saying. She was talking about moving back over to be closer.

Sorey frowned. “With everyone?”

Mikleo nodded, his gaze wandering over to the nest basket before it jerked back to him. “I don’t think she would abandon them. But would Phi’s shrine have room for them?”

Sorey bit his lip, thinking over the layout of the shrine. It was spacious, but practically all of the villages that had been in the Guest Mountains were there with him. There was only one that Sorey knew was still eking out a living in the mountains, but they could have gone to the shrine and he could have missed it. Even without them, that was a lot of people and seraphim, but the shrine on the mountain was practically empty.

He licked his lips, meeting Mikleo’s gaze. “There will be seraphim.”

Mikleo sucked in a quick breath, Sorey watching as he went tense. A moment later the tension was gone, Mikleo breathing out slowly. “That’s fine. They’re your family. And…the girls can’t just have you. They need more people and seraphim around them.”

“And you?”

Mikleo shifted in place before meeting his gaze. “If they’re your family, then they’re fine.”

Sorey shifted in place, glancing over to where the pups were barely visible under their blankets. He had grown up with the shrine full of people and seraphim, and it had meant that he was never alone and always had someone to play with. It had to be better than just the three of them, especially when there were other things to distract him and Mikleo. Better yet, they could get work done on the shrine when someone else was looking after the pups. No matter how much of their attention that the pups needed, they couldn’t stop working on the shrine or it would start coming down around their ears.

He looked back at Mikleo, squeezing his hands. “If you’re sure…”

Mikleo shrugged. “Well, we’ll have to talk with Selene a bit more but the girls should meet their family. And I want to meet them too. They’re important to you.”

Sorey stared at Mikleo before launching himself at his husband. Mikleo’s eyes widened, but he reached out all the same. Sorey pulled him close, hugging him tight. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Mikleo nuzzled into his neck, pausing before laughing. “Well, you put up with my uncle and everything that comes with him. It’s only fair.”

Sorey chuckled and rolled them to their sides. He loosed his hold with his arms and wings to allow Mikleo to turn over. He wiggled into a comfortable position, quickly grabbing onto Mikleo’s hand when it was offered again. He played with Mikleo’s fingers as his husband got comfortable. “It will take a lot of work on the shrine to get it ready.”

“We could ask for help, and I’m sure your family will want to meet the girls.”

Sorey grinned. “We could schedule playdates.”

“Good.” Mikleo nuzzled into the pillow. “Someone else can chase them around.”

“So that’s a yes?”

“A definite something to work towards.” Mikleo squeezed his hand. “I’m excited.”

“Me too.” Sorey nuzzled into the back of Mikleo’s neck, folding his wing over his husband. He let Mikleo settle back into his arms, listening to the soft snuffles from the basket and the sounds of Mikleo’s breathing evening out. Sorey hugged Mikleo close, listening to the signs of life in the shrine, and smiling happily.

END   


**Author's Note:**

> Messmu Meqcsbebq - Little Lightning (Sorey’s title)  
> Majy ih Fuaruhom Nasuwk - Lady of Peaceful Waters (Selene’s title)


End file.
